Philippine Journal of Science
152 (1): 501-514, February 2023
ISSN 0031 – 7683
Date Received: 01 Sep 2022

First Record of Culturable Microbial Communities
Associated with the Freshwater Sponge
Spongilla alba in Lake Taal, Philippines

Joe Anthony H. Manzano1,2,3,4*, Marlan T. Magdalaga1,3,4,
Ellha Mae Nicole M. Nicolas1, Milen Angelie R. Medalla1, Miguel Gabriel Z. Urrutia1,
Lloyd Christian J. Llames2, Allan Patrick G. Macabeo2, and Rey Donne S. Papa1,3,4

1Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science,
University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015 Philippines
2Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery, and Synthesis (LORDS),
Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences,
University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015 Philippines
3Aquatic Biology Laboratory, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences,
University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015 Philippines
4The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas,
España Blvd., Manila 1015 Philippines

*Corresponding author: joeanthony.manzano.gs@ust.edu.ph

[Download]
Manzano JA et al. 2023. First Record of Culturable Microbial Communities Associated with the
Freshwater Sponge Spongilla alba in Lake Taal, Philippines. Philipp J Sci 152(1): 501–514.
https://doi.org/10.56899/152.01.39

 

 

ABSTRACT

Sponge-microbe symbiosis is considered among the most primitive ecological relationships between metazoans and microorganisms. There is strong interest in understanding the occurrence of microbial communities in sponges due to their integral roles in host ecology, nutrient cycling, and production of potential bioactive secondary metabolites. However, most studies on sponges have been centered on marine species. In this study, the freshwater sponge Spongilla alba and its associated microorganisms were explored for the first time. Sponge samples collected from Lake Taal were taxonomically identified using gross morphology and spicules analysis. Both bacterial and fungal isolates were culturally characterized and molecularly identified using 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and ITS for fungi. Five bacterial species were identified as Pseudomonas sp., Enterococcus sp., Stenotrophomonas sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Pseudomonas mosselii plus eight fungal species with spore sizes from 5–10 µm were identified as Colletotrichum truncatum, Trichosporon asahii,Rhizopus microsporus, Puccinia striiformisf. sp. tritici strain, Talaromyces columbinus,Phoma sp., Phomopsis sp., and Lichtheimia ramosa. Phylogenetic analysis revealed microbial sequences belonging to Proteobacteria (n = 4), Firmicutes (n = 1), Ascomycota (n = 4), Zygomycota (n = 2), and Basidiomycota (n = 2). The study reports infrequent occurrences of Enterococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Puccinia, and Lichtheimia species as freshwater sponge-associated microbes. This also presents the culturable microbial composition of freshwater sponges and rare occurrence of marine- and terrestrial-associated fungi T. asahii, R. microsporus, Phoma sp., Phomopsis sp., C. truncatum, and T. columbinus in a unique freshwater ecosystem such as Lake Taal.